In electrocardiography, correct lead placement is very important and can greatly affect the waveforms obtained by an electrocardiograph (ECG) monitor. Accordingly, clinicians administering ECGs are often well trained on correct electrode placement. Moreover, there are a multitude of different electrode placement configurations which may be employed in various circumstances for obtaining ECGs, adding to the amount of training and expertise required in order to properly place electrodes for ECG monitoring.
Moreover, as regular ECG monitoring becomes an increasingly important part of healthcare, tools for providing and detecting proper electrode placement are becoming increasingly important and prevalent. Frequently, clinicians that are inexperienced in administering ECG tests are being called on to administer ECGs, including placing electrodes on patients. Additionally, home monitoring is becoming increasingly important, and thus patients are requiring guidance on how to place electrodes on themselves in order to administer their own ECGs.
As ECG electrode placement is such a technical and detailed practice, mistakes are commonly made in ECG electrode placement, leading to inaccuracies in ECG monitoring and waveform assessment. A multitude of tools have been developed attempting to determine whether improper electrode placement is causing inaccuracies in recorded ECG waveforms. Many of these tools assess the waveforms themselves in an attempt to assess and identify inaccurate lead placement. For example, multiple tools have been developed attempting to detect when electrodes are switched. However, these tools are generally ineffective at identifying problems with electrode placement and discerning the difference between abnormalities in waveforms caused by cardiac issues versus abnormalities resulting from incorrect electrode placement.